MSNBC host claims the network makes $300 million in profit

"Brian [Williams] is going to make a lot more for the company on MSNBC than NBC," said "Morning Joe" host Joe Scarborough. (Wikimedia Commons)

Left-leaning cable news channel MSNBC, often third in ratings behind Fox News and CNN, still makes a healthy profit for its parent company Comcast, according to "Morning Joe" host Joe Scarborough.

On Monday, media critic Michael Wolff was on "Morning Joe" to discuss a recent column in which he said disgraced NBC news anchor Brian Williams will actually make more money for Comcast when he moves to MSNBC in mid August.

"Let me take it a step further, from what I know about the inside economics of this place: It's not even going to be close," said Scarborough. "Brian's going to make a lot more for the company on MSNBC than NBC."

Wolff replied that MSNBC is a "major revenue center" for Comcast.

"Right now, it makes over $300 million for the company," Scarborough said.

If true, that figure is at least $100 million more in profit than MSNBC was said to have generated last year. Pew Research estimated that in 2014, MSNBC made nearly $206 million in profit, though ratings have often trailed the competition in the key 25-54 demographic that advertisers seek.

Wolff explained that revenue is generated by cable news outlets by advertising and subscription fees from cable providers, which pay the channels in order to carry them.